As Jersey Shore towns last summer cheered the rebirth of their boardwalks following Hurricane Sandy, one Monmouth County community's promenade remained in ruins.

But this summer at least part of the boardwalk in Ocean Grove will be rebuilt — and a few weeks earlier than previously expected.

"Originally, we were talking July 4," said J.P. Gradone, the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association's executive director and chief operating officer. At this point, he said, they're hoping to have the project complete by June 15.

Gradone said excavation and other preliminary work started on the middle section of the boardwalk on Monday. The boardwalk between the Ocean Pathway Pavilion and the beach office will be rebuilt, according to the camp meeting association.

Neptune Township’s Chief Financial Officer Michael Bascom said Piscataway-based Epic Management, Inc., was awarded the more than $1.1 million for the contract work.

Ocean Grove is a section of Neptune Township, but the camp meeting association owns the community's land.

FEMA cannot provide funding to a nonprofit group to repair recreational facilities.

The camp meeting association will repay the town using the money they receive from FEMA and their own matching funds, Bascom said. FEMA covers 90 percent of the costs of projects through its public assistance program.

Bascom said it's important to revive Ocean Grove's boardwalk for a number of reasons.

The main reason, he said, was to bring people back to the beaches and the boardwalk to support businesses in that section of Neptune. Making the area secure and providing rescue teams and police better access to the beachfront were also significant issues.

Gradone said they plan to focus on the northern end of the boardwalk and the pier, which were also damaged during Sandy, in the offseason.